Tool



July 23, 1946. z', c. VAN SCHWQARTIZ 2,404,530

TOOL Filed July 29, 1945 v low! 6. VANSCHWARTZ Patented July 23, 1946TOOL Zolly C. vanschwartz, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Firestone Tire&Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 29,1943, Serial No. 496,673

'1 nns-invention relatesto tools,;and more especially it relates totools having inherent flexibility to enable use thereof in places thatare difficult of access. 1

The tool is of primary utility in operative association with percussiveapparatus such as the pneumatic hammer, in which association it isadapted for a number of uses. For the purpose of illustration, but notlimitation, the invention is shown and described herein as it isembodied in a rivet set.

The chief objects of the invention are to pro vide a tool of thecharacter mentioned capable of functioning in locations that are toodiflicult of access to enable use of conventional'tools ordinarily used.More specifically the invention aims to provide a percussive toolcapable of transmitting percussion force or impact in an arcuate course;and to provide a tool of the character mentioned that will deliver thefull striking power of the percussive apparatus. Another object is toprovide a tool of the character mentioned capable of safe and easymanipulation by an operator. Other objects will be manifest as thedescription proceeds.

Of th accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool embodying the invention, a partthereof being broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pneumatic hammer with theimproved tool operatively associated therewith, and work on which thetool is operating; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a tool head of modifiedconstruction.

Referring first to Fig. 3 of the drawing, there is shown a portion of apneumatic hammer I0, and the improved tool of the invention, designatedas a whole by the numeral l I, mounted in said hammer so as to bereciprocated thereby. The arrangement is such that the tool is adaptedto transmit percussive force from the hammer ID to the work, hereinshown as rivets I2, l2 in a fabricated metal structure I3. As shown insaid figure, the rivets l2 are so positioned as to be practicallyinaccessible to conventional riveting devices, but readily are engagedby the tool H by reason of the flexible nature of the latter which eables it to be flexed to arcuate or offset form wherein its strikinghead is out of alignment with the axis of the hammer I0. It will beunderstood that the flexing of the tool is manually effected by theoperator of the apparatus, who grasps the tool in one of his hands (not1 Claim. (C1. 74-501) shown) and guides it into engagement withthe work.

-The improved tool lil, shown in detail in. Figs. 1 and 2', comprises ashank portion 15 atone" end thereof, and a head portion 16 at the otherend thereof, which shank and head are connected by a flexible metalelement H, the latter being encased in a sleeve or sheath [8 of flexiblematerial such as rubber composition. The shank portion I5 is arranged tobe mounted in an end of a pneumatic hammer l0 and to be reciprocatedthereby. The head 46 is specially designed for performing a particulartype of work, and in the rivet set shown its outer end or striking faceis recessed at I9 for engagement with a rivet, the recess being of suchshape as to form a fiat head on the latter. The flexible metal elementI1 is shown as a quadruple Keller type spring cable, which cablecomprises laterally abutting con- Volutions of spring-metal wires ofrectangular cross-section, with the result that the cable I! is axiallyincompressible, but readily may be flexed to arcuate form. The cable I!is united with the shank l5 and head [6 by having its end portionsbrazed or sweated into respective sockets or recesses I541, I611 formedin the confronting end portions of said shank and head. The rubbersheath l8 may be vulcanized in situ upon the cable IT, with its endportions overlying conthe adjacent peripheral surfaces of shank andhead.

The arrangement is such that the tool readily may be flexed to enablethe head [6 to be applied to work in otherwise inaccessible locations.

Such flexing of the tool is effected manually by the operator, at whichtime the sheath l8 on the tool. protects the operator's hand from beingpinched by the cable H, the convolutions of which separate somewhat onthe tension side when the tool is flexed. Being flexible and elastic,the rubber sheath l8 does not impair the flexing ability of the cableI1. The tool delivers the full percussive force of the hammer [0 to thehead l6, and achieves the other advantages set out in the foregoingstatement of objects.

Obviously the recess [9 in the head I6 may be of different shape forsetting rivet heads of different shape. Furthermore, the head itself maybe of different shape for performing operations other than riveting. Forexample, it may be shaped as a chisel for removing metallic projectionsor to cut clearances; it may be shaped as a 4 the scope thereof asdefined by the appended claim. i

What is claimed is:

tamp for use in calking operations; or it may 5 constitute a hammer headfor driving nails in difficult situations, such as toe-nailingoperations.

In Fi 4 is shown'a tool head 22 of modified is formed at one end with anaxial recess 22a in which a cable, such as the cable I! of thepreviously described embodimerit, is receivable.

A tool of the character described comprising a shank element at oneend'thereof, a head element at the other end thereof, the confrontingend portions of said shank and head being of reduced outside diameterand formed with re-v spective axial sockets, a flexibleaxiallydncomconstruction which may be employed in lieu of,lupressibleelement composed of a lurality of conthe head l6 previouslydescribed. The head 22 centric metallic abutting coils of wires ofrectangular cross-section having its end portions received in respectivesockets in said shank and head and permanentlysecured therein, said coilAt its opposite end the head is'forined with an 15 internally threadedrecess 23 in which a complementally threaded work-engaging element 25 isreceivable. The element 24 is shown as a chisel, and it will be obviousthat it readily may be removed from the head 22 and an element of 20different shape for a difierent purpose mounted in the head in lieuthereof. 1

Other modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention, or

element capable of transmittin a permissive 7 force in an arcuate courselongitudinally of its structure, and, a sheath of flexible elasticmaterial covering said coil element and adjacent reduced portions ofshank and head and permanently bonded thereto, the outer surface of saidsheath being flush with'adjacent peripheral sur faces of said shank andhead.

ZOLLY o. VAN SCHWARTZ;

